Colorado has a rich and varied history in the extraction of natural resources. Fossil fuels are a natural resource which have recently seen a huge increase in development throughout the state due to advances in technology and increased global demand. At the forefront of this new mineral wealth is the production of shale oil available through new horizontal drilling and fracturing technologies. In November, the Houston chapter of the American Petroleum Institute paid homage to Colorado as a key state for future oil & gas production and the South Metro Denver Chamber played a major role in the proceedings. Colorado - Texas Energy Day at the Petroleum Club of Houston included oil & gas vendor exhibits, an oil & gas executive roundtable, and the API luncheon moderated by Chamber President and CEO John Brackney with over 300 oil & gas executives present, including a contingent of South Metro Denver Chamber leaders.
Sponsored by CAP Logistics, the Chamber delegation included Jacob Lorenz (Risk and Chance), Jim McGrath (Studley), Tom Wood (Willbros Construction), Torie Brazitis (City of Lone Tree), Howard Dieter (Rettew Associates), Dan Killeen (RK Mechanical), Andrew Casper (Colorado Oil and Gas Association), Jason Hallmark (Hallmark Photos), Patty Rodvold (WhippleWood CPAs), Gayle Dendinger (CAP Logistics), Emily Haggstrom (CAP Logistics), John Boner (CAP Logistics), Detlev Simonis (CAP Logistics), and Nancy Vorderstrass (CAP Logistics), Jeff Holwell (COO, South Metro Denver Chamber), John Brackney (President and CEO, South Metro Denver Chamber) and Colleen Schwake (South Metro Denver Chamber).
Keynote speakers for the luncheon were Bob Fryklund, Chief Upstream Strategist for IHS and Jerry Eumont, Managing Director-Consulting, Energy & Natural Resources for IHS. Fryklund spoke on Colorado's Energy, an Unconventional Renaissance, and Eumont spoke on the continued leadership of Texas in the industry.
Throughout the day, the Colorado delegation met with several local oil & gas executives allowing them to focus on the state's future in energy production. "This event was a great opportunity for the Chamber to showcase Colorado and a major South Metro Denver employer to the oil & gas community of Texas. We were honored to be leading this effort in promoting our state to such an influential audience," said Chamber COO and Director of Economic Development, Jeff Holwell. "Our CEO John Brackney and board member Gayle Dendinger of CAP Logistics were able to advocate on behalf of Colorado as a place to do business. Despite the politics of oil & gas fracturing, we are a strong energy state and we are open for business."
"Colorado has the opportunity to become a major player in the oil shale revolution and it will become an important economic driver for the state. The Chamber is honored to continue our collaboration with the energy industry. We will persist in our recruitment and advocacy and build Colorado's energy portfolio including fossil fuels and renewable energy."